the true maniacal mind

I'm going on vacation tomorrow, then I'm totally "booked" til the end of October, then I HOPE I'm booked til after Christmas on another job... but if/when things settle down I hope to create the All New Merry Marky Mark Elders Value Stamp Book!!! Face front, faithful flatheads!```

No need for all that cross hatching. Id doesn't do much for texture and your line does all the work you need it to, to describe form. I'd go for a more clean lline look, with just open lines and your spot blacks.

To comment on Jed's suggestion, I personally think the hatching could work nicely, since the line work is so bold. It's just that some areas need to be offset by larger areas of black, so the entire piece isn't so gray.

The even tone of the piece makes it difficult to figure out where to rest your eyes.

my first decree is that all marvel comics currently being published shall be cancelled immediately!they shall be replaced with the following titles:powerhouse pepper, patsy and hedy, sergeant barney barker, millie the model, and homer the happy ghost!

so i have said, so shall it be.

i would like to take this opportunity to point out some of the imagery and its symbolism in mr. martin's most excellent portrait of myself.

first, please note that mr. martin has depicted me as a MOUSE. this is to symbolize my love of milton's stein's work on superMOUSE comics.

second, you will see in the portrait that i am wearing a striped shirt, and bib overalls. this is to show my great appreciation for the works of owen fitzgerald, and al weissman (hank ketcham's two top ghosts on the dennis the menace comic book series).

third, notice that mr. martin has left the heart/lung/stomach area of my body unpainted. this is to let the newsprint page it is painted on show through, and let the viewer know that i eat/breathe/sleep/and love only comics.

fourth, note the red border around the portrait. this is a reference to "the henbanes, chapter one", a comic book that i recently completed.

and finally, you will see that i appear to be wearing a fez on my head, but it is actually an overturned cup, placed there by the artist to show that MY CUP RUNNETH OVER WITH LOVE FOR MARK MARTIN, AND FOR HIS WORK.

many thanks to you, mark. this image shall always be cherished.

and my final decree is that brigham martin continue to grace this blog with his excellent illustrations!